


The Raven Sea

by HotGeometry



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: A story in a story, At least an AU where Taako is a story character, Gen, General au, M/M, Mermaids, Mermen, Siren Kravitz, Sirens, Underwater, merfolk, siren au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-22 19:26:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10703553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HotGeometry/pseuds/HotGeometry
Summary: When Taako gets sent out to do an odd job at sea and he loses focus for a second, he learns that sirens might be more crafty than initially expected





	1. Encounters

"Gather 'round now, children! Gather round!" An Elven mother called out to her rowdy offspring, whom were fighting amongst themselves over who would get the top bunk bed tonight. Though like trained dogs, silence fell as their mother called out to the three elven boys. Quickly they hurried over to her to sit at her feet eagerly, as she took a seat on a creaky, old chair near the window.

"Now I'm sure you'd all like a bedtime story, so here's one of your father's old favourites: The Raven Sea." She said as she wiggled her fingers, adding to the spooky title of the story before she got the dusty, old book from the windowsill. Blowing off the dust, she flipped it open to the first chapter, with three sets of beaming eyes anxiously waiting for her to begin.

"It all started... With an idiot wizard."

* * *

 

"I swear on all that is holy, if you don't give me another job this second I will shove my umbrella where the sun don't shine, you'll make a frilled lizard run for its money, buddy-o"

Taako threatened as he waved a piece of paper in front of his employer, who remained stone-faced. No, this was going to be the only available job for a while to come and sadly Taako had no ability to conjure up actual money, so this had to do now that he couldn't pick-pocket. The guards would have his head if he tried it again, so it was best to lay low for now. Though laying low meant doing legal jobs which were frankly, a whole lot less rewarding.

And this one in particular was especially crude. For 300 gold pieces, he had to deliver some cargo to a nearby island in merely a rowboat with some rations. Sure, the payment was worth it but the job circumstances were foul considering the route was through siren territory. The last thing he wanted to deal with was sirens trying to win his heart, and inevitably turning aggressive to Taako since he wasn't attracted to their typically female appearance nor were they made of diamonds. Then again, they typically weren't active during the night so he could avoid them that way.

Taako's employer again gave a stern 'No' and not long after, Taako was standing outside on the docks again. Ships came and went, big ones still docked and being loaded with cargo. Captains chatting amongst themselves, sailors sharing stories of the sea with eachother. A woman being woo'd by another woman through song and a boy trying to catch a fish or two. It was a nice, sunny day in the seaside town Taako had currently settled himself in. His eyes looked over the crumpled paper one more time, and with a sigh, he tucked it into the pocket on the inside of his dark robes. He pulled up the cowl and went on his way to where he was supposed to pick up the supplies.

* * *

 

It was around sunset that Taako had finally finished preparing the cruddy rowing boat. It'd take a few days to get there, so besides the rations he was supplied with, he packed extra from himself just in case. Plus, how was he expected to live on dried fish and bread for four days and not once have a good fruit salad? Unthinkable.

"Here goes nothing, I s'pose." Taako mumbled to himself, hopping into the boat with utmost grace. He took one look at the rotting, barnacle-covered oars and grimaced. Physical labour wasnt going to happen, he thought as they both easily went overboard with a clean kick. Taako seated himself, and placed the end of his umbrastaff over the back of the boat. A few magic words, and a continuous gust of wind propelled the boat through the water at a moderate pace, off into the unknown.

* * *

 

A few hours passed and Taako had already grown severely bored. He should've brought his cards after all. Taako grumbled, resting his elbow on the far front of the boat and his head on his hand, staring off into the starry, midnight sky and feeling the wind blow through his hair. His eyes fluttered shut, only the sound of the waves breaking the silence. At least it was peaceful, he thought, until...

Bloop. The wind suddenly fell silent, which caused Taako to open his eyes. He swiftly turned around as if stung by a bee, only for fear to strike his heart. His umbrastaff, gone. "Nonono!!" Taako yelled out as he scurried to the other end of the small boat, looking over the edge. Just a few bubbles that rose up. Taako groaned loudly in frustration, starting to take off his robe and placing his head aside. If he was quick enough he could still catch whatever thing decided his staff was its next dinner. Taako kicked off his shoes, and quickly hopped into the water and after his staff.

Once underwater, Taako could clearly see the red tint of his umbrastaff deep down. A quick spell to make sure he wouldn't suffocate, and he dove right after it. It never seemed to get closer though. The sea got darker, and darker, and darker, just the red tint guiding him. Though suddenly, it disappeared. Taako frowned, eyes searching for the hint of red. And that's when he heard it. A sound that sent shivers down his spine.

Singing.

And not just any singing, it was certainly a man's voice. Taako wasn't even sure what kind of voice it was however, it was haunting, echoing through the deep in an inhuman manner. The song was barely understandable, but it's effects caused his body to freeze up completely. He couldn't move as the haunting words reached his ears.

" _Deep within the seas I hide_  
 _Our souls lost when sent to die_  
 _Now within the waves I dance.._ "

Taako could feel a presence, but at this level, the ocean was so dark he saw nothing but an inky blackness. He couldn't tell where it was but it had certainly gotten closer because the rest of the words were easier to catch now.

" _... Praying on the souls of man_  
 _You may be fortunate to steal a kiss_  
 _An opportunity you dare not miss_  
 _Though there's no hope if you wish to live_ "

The song ended, but Taako still couldn't move. The silence was torturous, and panic began to rise within the wizard. He had to get out of here as soon as possible.

A light suddenly broke through the dark. A small, blue light. Taako's eyes caught it immediately. He watched intently and with held breath as it rose slowly. Closer, and closer, and closer. This little ball of light rose up and up, until it was right near his face. Taako watched it dance with intrigue, and it was quite endearing. It eased him at least a little bit to have a source of light in this terrifying situation. But there was something that wasn't right about it. And Taako's gut was more than right.

His eyes went from confusion to sheer terror as a clawed, webbed hand appeared from the darkness behind the blue light. The cold scales felt like they were cutting into his skin as the palm caressed his face. And that's when Taako's eyes began to adjust. The owner of the hand was also the owner of the light dangling in front of his face.

Empty, white eyes reflected the blue light, as well as a big, hungry smile filled to the brim with sharp, haunting teeth. Teeth that almost seemed to pierce the siren's dark, smooth skin, as if his mouth was too small for the amount of sharpness it possessed. Long, curly, black hair loomed around and over the siren's face, framing his nightmarish face more than perfectly. Taako looked like a deer in headlights as his eyes dared to lower to the creature's body. Long fins that stood like spikes over his back, arms and tail. The tail was thick and muscled, reflecting intricate patterns and seeming to also be glowing in the slightest.

The beast tightened his grip and opened his jaws, seeming to dislocate in the process as its gutteral voice spoke.

"Welcome to the Raven Sea."

* * *

 

"And now it's bedtime!" The Elven mother spoke out as she shut the book with a big smile. She stood up, placing the book back in the window

"Aww but mom, you were just getting to the good part!" One of the boys protested. "A good story requires patience, dear. Especially this one." She explained, watching patiently as her sons all got in bed. After giving them all a good night kiss, she turned off the oil lamp. However, before she could leave the room, the youngest of the three boys squeaked out. "Can the siren get to me? Will the siren lure me out into the sea too, mommy?!"

The Elven mother laughed heartily, however. "Not if you pay attention in magic classes." She reassured him, before leaving the bedroom. 


	2. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako reaches rock-bottom.

"Another chapter, another chapter!" The youngest yelled as he scooted up to his mother, whom was once more sitting on her reading chair with the familiar book. She brushed a curl behind her ear and smiled, opening the tale once the other two siblings had also gathered.

"Alright now, alright. Let's see what happens when our dearest wizard gets into some fishy business, yes?"

* * *

 

"Welcome to the Raven Sea." The creature spoke, the smell of viscera easily penetrating the pocket of air around Taako's head, making the wizard visibly cringe in disgust.

A silence fell. All that Taako could hear was the faint noise of the creature's tail swaying back and forth, clearly excited about it's meal. He had to somehow talk his way out of this or he was going to be fish food.

Taako clacked his tongue, effectively breaking the frightening silence. "Good... Evening to you too, compadre. Listen, all I really need is my staff which sort of sank down to the bottom of this Raven Sea you're speaking of, yeah? So if you could just let me go, I'll snatch it up and we'll be cool, right?" He tried to reason with the beast in front of him. Did sirens even have a sense of reason?

The being had none of it though. It led out a loud screech and raised its free hand, ready to lop Taako's head off without mercy. Hr shut his eyes, bracing for death. Death didn't come though. The cold, scaley hand gripping his cheek tightly was violently yanked off of his face, and another, different outcry ripped through the silence of the sea. Taako peeped one eye open, only to see no light in front of him anymore. He was again greeted with a black, watery void.

His gaze shifted to the side, and he spotted two lights. The teal one that was previously in front of him and a purple one, thrashing and flailing wildly, echoes of horrifying shrieking continuously coming from them. Were they fighting? Perhaps over who got to have him as a snack?

Either way, Taako was still completely paralyzed from the siren's song and had no way of escaping these predators, which was more his current concern. Now that nothing was holding him up anymore, he slowly began to sink. If the ocean could get any darker, it most certainly did now.

It was best to keep as silent as possible and hope the sirens would forget about him so he had the time to find his staff and leave. The effects wouldn't last forever, right? The noises of battle disappeared in the distance, and suddenly Taako felt sand around his feet. His body lopsided slightly, shoulder settling against the rock behind him, then he stopped.

Well, here he was. A boring freelance job to deliver cargo, only to end up paralyzed and lopsided at the bottom of the ocean. Taako sighed, his current option only being to wait. It would be an easy feat to cast a spell to light up his surroundings, but the last thing he wanted was attract more attention. Besides the crab currently poking at his legs, there was nothing of notice anyway.

* * *

 

After about ten minutes, Taako could feel his arms starting to gain back their mobility. His bones popped and muscles ached in protest as he did some quick stretches, but it wasn't all too bad. Taako's legs were still stuck though, they even sank deeper in the sand all the way up to his thighs. He began reaching into the darkness, since he still had to find his umbrastaff somehow. Behind him was the rock he was leaning on. Hands sliding around it, he couldn't find anything particularly useful. Now for his right side, he thought as he felt around the sand.

Taako froze when he felt scales though, instantly pulling his hand back. Now what was this? A dead fish? More danger? Cautiously, his fingers reached into the darkness again. A membrane this time. Weirdly slimy, and they had a ribbled structure with some small chunks missing. Once more pulling his hand back, he reached up to his face and sniffed the slime coating his fingertips. He revolted and shuddered. Yep, that's fish. Yuck, probably some leftovers from those sirens.

Wisely leaving it alone for now, he reached to the other side. He felt nothing but sand and the crab that bothered him previously. This darkness was really starting to become a problem, he thought. Maybe a small light spell to see if the umbrastaff was at least nearby, no way that could hurt. He'd cast it really fast, no way they could notice that!

Taako perked his ears up, listening intently. Nothing but silence. No haunting singing, no shrieks, just silence. Alright, just do it super quickly. He softly whispered the required words in folded hands, and a small light orb appeared inbetween as he unfolded them.

The orb instantly illuminated the surrounding. Once Taako's eyes were adjusted to the light, he could see in a few feet radius around him. Nothing but pale sand and rocks. On the left, he could just barely see the crab fleeing from the light by burying itself into the seabed. A breathy chuckle escaped him, and his gaze shifted to his other side.

The chuckle was quickly caught in his throat and he froze on the spot. Dark blue scales reflected his small, yellow light, scales that were part of a big tail, with a lighter, rugged fin at the end. Eyes sliding up higher, he noticed large, spike-like fins on the tail as well, intricate patterns decorating them. Scales gradually became dark skin the higher up he looked and the thing's arms had similar, spiney fins as the tail had, as well as a membrane inbetween clawed fingers on the hands. There seemed to be more random scales growing over the rest of the body.

Taako had a mild existential crisis however when he laid eyes on this thing's face. Not only because it was the same face he saw before, but now he got to actually take a detailed look in clear light and he was taken by surprise. The face was square-ish, a good set of cheekbones and had other well-carved features. Thick eyebrows above closed eyes and fins instead of ears that broke through thick, long and curly hair. It's lips were slightly plumpy, with two tusks sticking out. There were markings around the mouth too, giving the illusion of more teeth, though judging by the jaw structure this creature definitely had a lot more fangs hiding in there. Strikingly handsome overall, though very monstrous.

Once Taako was over his shock, he noticed how the teal light that was so hypnotizing to look at before, was now off. Another thing he noticed was the deep, bleeding gashes across the siren's torso.

Oh you had to be joking right now. He was stuck with the siren that brought him into this mess in the first place. That's just fantastic. He quickly whipped his head around to see if he could spot his umbrastaff. He looked at the rock behind him, and lo and behold, there it was. His bright red umbrastaff, stuck between two rocks, one of which he was sitting against. It was just out of his reach, too.

Taako huffed as he stretched himself out as far as he could, but he couldn't even touch the thing with his fingertips. Groaning softly in agony, he started thinking of a new plan. Trying to move his feet, this attempt was still unsuccessful. Maybe he could try and pull himself up from the sand. It was worth a shot, he thought as he dimmed the light so he could use his hands.

He placed both of them on either side of him, trying to pull himself up from the sand. This proved to be very difficult, since the loose sand of the ocean floor wasn't as forgiving. Wiggling, struggling and pushing, he managed to get him a slight bit higher. Focusing back on his umbrastaff, he reached out and managed to grab it just barely. He pulled the grip down, grabbed the handle and pulled his trusty staff out. He held it up victoriously, a grin spreading over his face now that he had his weapon back.

"Now, let's cash out on this party." Taako muttered to himself as he used the sand to pry his legs loose easier. Before he could cast the spell that would effectively get him back to his boat in seconds, his eyes fell on the bleeding siren. The fish was as good as dead if that kept up.

His brows furrowed as he glanced to the siren, to his wand and up into the nothingness that lead to the surface. He did this a couple of times, until letting out an exasperated sigh. Ugh, fine. But only because this one had a good face.

Taako used his staff to pull his way over, briefly examinating the gashes. A quick, makeshift bandage from part of his sleeve and an extra potion from his pocket, and Taako felt like he'd done enough already for a creature previously trying to murder him.

Looking over his handiwork, he nodded in approval. Then, with just a snap of his fingers, Taako propelled himself back up to the surface using his staff, only to look forward to a night of extra caution and some very, very stiff legs.

* * *

 

The elven mother once more sent her kids to bed for the night, her red dress fluttering as she shut the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy that I got some positive feedback for this, so hey, I'll write this as long as I've got inspiration or want to wrap it up, I suppose!


	3. Resurface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako makes it out of siren territory! Or does he?

Tonight was yet another story night. Though this time, it wasn't the elven mother that put the kids to bed. No, it was a special night: the human father put the kids to bed. Thud, thud, thud.. Boom! The door swung open with a loud crash, laughter ensuing from the father and his three rowdy children who clung all over him. One holding his leg, another on his arm and the third on his back. "To bed with you, victorious warriors!" He proclaimed with an exaggerated, booming voice. The kids giggled as they quickly scuffled to their beds, though one of them walked over to the familiar, creaky chair and picked up the book. With a smile, he handed it over to his father, eyes seeming to plead for the next chapter. The man took the book from his son, looking it over with a hint of nostalgia and miss shown in his expression. His eyes quickly softened though as he chuckled "Alright then, one chapter." And his kids rejoiced. They all gathered around the chair, and the story continued.

\---

Taako was starting to enjoy this job less and less. After his escape from the siren planning to eat his face, he figured out that an easy spell like 'Dry your clothes instantly' hadn't been created yet. So here he was, gently floating in his little boat on the water and crammed next to the supplies crate, arms and legs hanging partially over the edges of his slightly too small vessel. Good thing the weather was unusually warm for an early morning after a mostly restless night, because all that Taako could wear right now were his undies and a pair of shades. His umbrastaff was tucked safely under his body and his clothes were hanging over the end of the boat, in Taako's view, so they could dry safely.

Taako sniffed, running the back of his hand over his nose. Oh, he was totally going to get a cold from all this, and all because some siren decided he wanted a midnight snack in the form of a simple elf wizard. Such was life.

A few hours passed in the scorching sun. Taako had napped on and off during it, but when his back was protesting from the hard, chippy wood of the boat, it was for the better that he got up and going again. He checked his clothing. Still mildly damp but at least not thoroughly soaked anymore. Taako begrudgingly put his clothes back on and did some stretches to get himself into gear. He cracked his knuckles, picked up his umbrastaff and repeated the spell he used at the start of his journey. Though this time, he had a very tight grip on his trusty umbrella.

\---

Another day came and went without anything spectacular going on. The sun was setting and Taako had stopped the boat. He was currently both fighting and fiddling with a map and compass. Navigation wasn't his strongest suit, especially when it came to sea navigation. Though according to his possibly off navigation, he safely left siren territory. Or as that creature called it, The Raven Sea. He sighed in relief, tucking his tools back from where they came from and sprawling himself out into the boat again. At least he could sleep soundly, but he still tucked his staff under his body for safety. Taako's eyes fluttered closed as the stars came into view. Finally, some peace.

But then, his boat wobbled for the slightest bit. Taako popped back awake almost instantly, a frown crossing his features. He pulled his limbs back and plucked on his clothing. Was it just a wave? Just as he wondered that, his boat wobbled unnaturally once more. The wizard shot up and peeked around the dark blue to inky black waters, moonlight reflecting off its surface. He quietly grabbed his umbrastaff, ready to strike whatever was bothering him when he was trying to catch some z's. 

"'Oi, you ought'a be careful where you're pointin' that, luv." A cockney accent spoke from behind him. As if stung by a bee, Taako turned around immediately and pointed his umbrastaff directly to whoever was speaking to him. Milky white eyes with only a slight hint of visible pupils looked up at Taako from just above the water, starkly contrasting the being's dark skin. Hair stuck to his head and face, however a large, spiky fin came was attached to his crown and ran all the way to the back of his neck. And of course, a small blue light dangled around, protruding from his forehead like a dangling lightbulb.

"You?!" Taako shouted in disbelief. He didn't as much hesitate, casting Otiluke's Resilient Sphere. The familiar siren was suddenly trapped inside a bubble, slowly floating up and above the water. Confusion spelled out on his face as he put his hands up against the inside of the clear, glass sphere. 

Taako felt a bit safer, and he could get a good look at him first before asking questions later. The siren was a pretty astounding sight. He had all the features of a triplewart seadevil; long tail but a small fin, big jaw, antenna-like light on his forehead, a few extra spiky fins here and there. The scales on his tail were just as dark, if not darker than his skin. Most of his body really was invisible underwater. What stuck out most though were the siren's teeth. A few fang- and tusk-like teeth were sticking out, and whenever he opened his mouth to protest against his current confinement, it was clear he had many rows more of these tiny, but incredibly sharp teeth hiding in there. To create the illusion of more outward teeth though, he had white stripes along his lips, jaw and cheeks. As if he needed more.

"So what's your deal here, fishbreath?! Trying to eat my face again?" Taako asked as he still pointed his staff at the siren, even though he was trapped. "And what's with the accent, do all sirens talk that way?"

The siren sighed, dropping his hands in favour of crossing his arms over his chest instead. "Listen, I-" He began, once more in his cockney accent, before dropping it in favour of something more posh. "Oh forget it, I just assumed humans were... Universal in understanding an accent like that. Centuries of spying on fishermen. Anywho, my name is Kravitz, and I've come here in peace."

"Peace? Peace?!" Taako sputtered in disbelief, almost laughing at the thought. "My dude, you tried to eat my face not even 24 hours ago, what do you mean you've come in peace?! You should honour me about not blasting you to the other side of the ocean right now!" Taako continued, securing his position more as if he was about to cast that spell.

Kravitz grew seemingly more concerned, again speaking from his confinement as he spoke. "Now now, let's not get too, eh.. Hasty here, I don't usually like to socialize either, but I'm quite indebted to you. With my life, nonetheless."

Taako paused, eyes immediately going to Kravitz' crudely bandaged chest. Oh yeah, he did that, didn't he? He clacked his tongue, spinning his staff before leaning against it. "And you're not thinking to yourself 'Let's pay him back for that by leaving him to do his business'?" Taako suggested as he checked his nails.

Kravitz seemed taken aback by this answer. His brows furrowed and his fingers drummed the inside of the bubble. "Well no, I brought a peace offering, of some sort. You left your hat on the ocean floor. At least, I assumed it was your hat, so I simply followed your trail to at least return that." Kravitz explained, starting to get nervous about his tight confinement. He pointed at the front of the boat, that had Taako's thoroughly soaked hat hanging on the front end.

Taako looked over, squinting. He quickly felt his hair, and there was no hat to be found. He didn't notice he forgot to leave it on the boat when he went after his umbrastaff. He quietly returned his gaze to Kravitz, expression softening. "Well, thank you for that, at least.." The wizard muttered with a warm, grateful smile for the siren that came all the way out here to return it.

Kravitz seemed hopeful by this change of atmosphere, waiting eagerly to be let out of the bubble again. The hope turned into confusion however, when Taako began to smirk mischievously.

".. Thank you and goodbye, fishbreath." And with a flick of his umbrastaff, he sent the orb flying with a shrieking Kravitz in it, watching it disappear into the horizon before popping it. Once this was done and dealt with, he settled back in the boat with a satisfied smile. He'd have to come from some real impressive home if he thought Taako would be persuaded so easily, no matter how handsome he was.

\---

The book closed once more, and the father put his curious kids to bed. However, he took the book with him. He exited the kids' room, paging through the book in his own time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The spell blocks out sound too. But do I care? Nah. Thanks for reading and the positive comments I got, they all make me smile!

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything in a while, so. Hey taz fandom, here's my drabble. I'm not sure if I'll add a next chapter, it honestly depends on how this is received? It'd be great if you could leave some feedback <3


End file.
